No Pets Clause Overturned

DFD visitor Kat used our website information to sucessfully overturn a no-pets clause and have depression support dog Scrap allowed in her rental accommodation

“Hello DFD,

Your website was crucial in providing support for my application to my landlord to remove the no-pets clause of my lease. I now have a beautiful dog called Scrap who has made my life sunny again, thank you so much. I would love to help champion the cause to have dogs recognised as depression support dogs.

Kat & Scrap”

Congrats to Kat & Scrap – its great to know the info here is proving useful in raising wider awareness and consideration of the need for depression support dogs.  If you have a story like Kat’s please write in and let us know – Ed

Endal’s Healing Power

Endal’s Healing Power – Editor’s Comment

“Like many, I watched with great emotion and not a few tears the story of Endal who helped his master come to terms with both physical and psychological injuries received during the gulf war. It was a hugely powerful story.

Two aspects of the story leapt out at me at the time and have stayed with me. The first was an uplifting insight into the dramatic psychological and emotional improvement Endal was able to bring to his owner. According to the documentary he more or less single handedly brought back his master’s ability to speak fluently and to share emotional feelings with his forgotten and struggling wife and famliy.

The second dimension of the programme was unintentional, very subtle but saddened me greatly. And that was that ,although the dcoumentary conveyed visually the devatstating emotional impact of the situation through moody filming, the word depression was barely, if at all used during the entire programme.

I wonder why there continues to be such a stigma and cloud of misunderstanding attached to the term and condition. For some strange reason  it seems easier to talk about attempting suicide and the other effects of depression such as social withdrawal than to use the term “depression”.

What a challenge society still has to face when we still away from an open acceptance and common understanding of the debilitating and very real illness that so many people suffer and live with day in and day out.”

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/8232819.stm

Goldie the Retriever

DFD Visitor Pam* describes how Goldie*, her comedian retriever and constant companion has helped her keep going for 7 years

“I rescued my retriever a few months after a complete breakdown. She is almost seven and has been my one constant companion through my journey of mental health illness. Some of my happiest days have been spent walking on the beach. A three hour walk, with a swim is her idea of heaven and because I get to speak to other doggie people, it is my idea of heaven too. Goldie is my responsiblitiy and so I have to stay alive to look after her. I have to get out of bed to feed her and I have to get dressed to walk her. When I cry, she knows I am upset and she nuzzles into me and I can feel the love from her. Retrievers are described as being the comedians of the dog family and I would say Goldie has that trait, She makes me laugh when I have no other reason in my life. She also loves the water and has never met a puddle she didn’t like! – she lies in every one she meets. Goldie is my salvation ”

* Details changed to protect contributors’ anonymity.

Website Feedback

Visitor J.  is the first to feed back on our website
“Great site ! I wish the site all the luck in the world – may it be a useful resource to people who have had the Black Dog on their shoulder but want to chase it away and replace it with a lovely dog”

Thanks J. I’m glad people are starting to find the site as it gets established – Ed.